New Beginnings
by taybaybay01
Summary: Bella leaves Forks in order to get away from the danger that follows her around when she's with Edward. Edward, heartbroken at first, moves on and finds love again. The story of what would happen if Edward loved me. Read and review, my summary sucks, srry


**Prologue:**

"Bella, what are you doing?" Edward inquired as the lanky brunette fumbled through her drawers, tossing out every item she had to her name onto the floor of her bedroom.

"Packing," she grunted. "I'm moving back to Arizona with my mom."  
"You're leaving?" Edward questioned, stating blankly at the girl who he had thought loved him as much as he loved her.

"Mhm," she hummed softly. "I need to get away from here, away from, well, away from you. Being here and with you has endangered my life, and I can't hand the constant fear and danger I'm living with. I'm going home."  
"Oh," the auburn haired boy shrugged, perfectly masking his inner pain. "If that's what you want. If it makes you happy."  
"It is. I will be happy," she smiled warmly up at him. "I leave tomorrow at two."  
"So, I guess this is it," Edward gloomed.

"Yeah, I guess it is," she nodded. "It was nice, but it wouldn't have worked out for us. We're too different."  
"That we are," he sighed. "Have a nice life."

With his final words spoken, he left. He passed Charlie on his way out, but paid no attention to the hardened look plastered on his face. He slid into the silver Volvo parked outside the girl's, who had torn his heart apart, the figurative organ that filled his chest, home and sped away from the scene with no intentions of going any where specific, only the intentions of getting away.

**8 ½ Months Later**

"Edward, you can't live like this. It's been over eight months. Let it go, man," Emmett snapped, slamming his large hand on the table, nearly splitting it in half.

Edward ignored the husky boy's comment and continued to stare off into space. He was over it; over the pain she had caused, over the constant moping around with nothing to do, over the repetitive "what ifs" that crossed his mind, but most importantly, he was over her.

"Edwa-"

"I'm fine. I've moved on. Drop it," Edward hissed. "She wanted to leave, that was her decision, and I'm fine with it. I'm no longer concerning myself with that part of my life anymore."  
"Then what else is bothering you? You're still acting strange," Emmett carried on.

"I don't know what it is. I've been hearing a new wave of thoughts and Alice has been having visions. The thoughts I hear are coming from the girl in Alice's visions. It's hard to explain, and I'm not really sure how to. Nothing like this has ever happened before," Edward shrugged loosely, keeping his eyes focused on the wall as he spoke.

"So you have no idea who the girl you're hearing is?"

"No. Aside from the fact that she's in Alice's visions, too, we have no idea who she is or why she's so dominant in our daily lives," Edward replied with little emotion. "It's all extremely confusing."

"She's in trouble," Alice called out, bursting into the kitchen with a look of despair smeared across her pale face.

"Who are you talking about?" Jasper implored, following the petite, pixie-haired girl into the room.

"The girl. The girl that's been the center of my visions lately. She's is in trouble!" she fused, fumbling frantically around the room. "Edward can you hear her thoughts right now? Anything?"

Edward nodded and stood up from his previous position. "She's in the woods, and clueless as to where exactly she is. She's lost."

"Okay, well she also has a mountain lion on her trail while she tries to find her way through the woods. How much time do you think we'll have?" Alice screeched.

"Ten minutes, fifteen if we're lucky," Edward guessed. "Let's go."

"Wait. We don't even know who she is. We'd only be putting ourselves in danger by going after her," Emmett groaned.

"No one said you had to come," Alice barked. "If she has been a part of just about every single one of my visions for the last few weeks and Edward is able to hear her within a larger land area, then that must mean something."  
"I'm not letting you do this alone," Jasper argued, wrapping his arm tightly around Alice's waste. "I'm coming to."  
Jasper's obvious affection for Alice didn't sit well with Edward; it was the simple gesture that reminded him that he was still alone without someone to spend all of eternity with. He had, at one time, thought that he had found the person he was meant to be with, but that had proven a failure. And, that was the past, what mattered was now.

**Chapter One **_(Taylor's P.O.V)_

I wouldn't consider myself clumsy, accident prone, or uncoordinated, no, but I have noticed that I have the tendency to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. For instance, if I wouldn't have left the diner to explore my new home, Forks, Washington, I wouldn't have gotten lost in the most-covered, dampened forest, weaving in an out of the trees at a sprinted pace in hopes of survival with some kind of animal, and hungry animal, chasing after me.

I hated to sweat. The sticky residue it left on my skin mixed with the foul, salty odor it produced disgusted me. But, right now, I was sweating. Tiny beads of perspiration coated my forehead and dribbled slowly down my heated flesh, soaking through my jeans and old Nike t-shirt, and all because I allowed my curiosity to get the best of me.

My entire body ached from the running. My lungs were tightening, making it harder to breathe. My mouth was bone dry. I knew my body wouldn't be able to take much more, but I couldn't find it in me to give up; I couldn't find it in me to let myself die.

I pressed on watching the horizon as I paced through the woods. A low growl erupted out of nowhere and a large figure flew over my head. I turned to watch, but tripped over my own feet and landed face-first into a patch of soggy shrubbery.

A shrill howl filled the air as the sounds of shredding flesh and breaking limbs rose in a cacophony, sending chills down my spine. The smell of fresh blood boiled in my nostrils, the rusted, iron scent nauseating me.

"Edward, get the girl," a gentle voice instructed before a pair of arms slipped around my weak body and lifted me off the ground.

"Where are we going to take her?" a smooth, angelic voice sang in question as he carried me a few steps away from my previous spot on the wet ground.

"We have to at least find out who she is," the more feminine voice of the two insisted. "Why not the meadow?"  
"No!" the once angelic voice barked aggressively. "That would be a dead give away."

"Then why not here, seeing as we are all standing here?"

"Um, yeah, I'm alive and conscious. I can hear you," I spoke up, looking up for the first time at my rescuer and his accomplice.

The boy was beautiful, so beautiful that I was awestruck, speechless. His pale face was flawless, perfectly structured and evenly balanced. He had a head full of thick, messy, auburn colored hair; it suited him nicely. His eyes were a golden brown and stared back into my boring blue ones as if they had the ability to see the depths of my soul, which wasn't unlikely seeing as they had already captivated my entire being.

The girl was shorter with a pixie-styled haircut, but she, too, was just as beautiful as the boy who was holding me tightly in his muscular arms. Her face was unblemished, with every feature set with perfect symmetry. Her eye color was a very similar color to that of which the boy's were, but hers had a more subtle glow in them. Her complexion was pale, an icy pale, and appeared as though she, nor the boy, really got out in the sun; not that there was much sun for them to bask in here in Forks anyway.

"Right, well, if you would put me down, I'd greatly appreciate it," I mumbled, staring blankly between the two. He placed me on my feet softly and the temperature became noticeably warmer, seeing as his skin was as cold as ice.

Two pairs of golden eyes were scanning me up and down to the point of pure scrutinization. Their heated stares left me feeling uncomfortable.

"Taylor?" the boy requested through a song-like whisper.

"How do you know my name?" I snapped aggressively.

"You just, I, I, I don't know," he shrugged. "Lucky guess?"

"Sure," I nodded sarcastically. "Why do you need to know who I am, anyway? I don't even know you."

"I'm Alice," the brunette girl smiled. "And, he's Edward."

"Okay, Alice and Edward, easy enough. Now, why do you need to know who I am?"

"It's actually kind of hard to explain," Alice proceeded. "It would just be extremely helpful if we knew who you were."

"Well, I'm Taylor. Anything else?" I mused, slightly tilting my head. "Wait, how did you know I'd be out here? How did you know that I was being chased by whatever it was that was after me, because people don't just randomly walk outside and kill animals? And, how did you kill whatever the thing was without any kind of weapon, huh?"

Before either of them had a chance to respond, or even think of an answer, a new thought ignited in my brain and I began to reminisce on my freshman year Myths and Legends of the World course and the very first paper I had ever turned in for a grade. I had researched the many different views and opinions on the bloodsucking demons, many of the world's people called _vampires_, and how the two lovely people before me matched the description of the supposive mythical creatures; their icy, pale skin, their extreme strength, their pale complexions and stone-like features, everything about them was an ideal characteristic found in vampires.

"She knows," Edward whispered as if someone was watching us and had no need to hear what was being said, his voice once again portraying a silky and angelic tone.

"I know what?" I blurted with instant confusion.

"What we are," he stated flatly.

"V-vampires?" I stuttered. "You mean you two are actually vampires?"

He nodded his head and took a step closer to me. I flinched out of habit when his cold hand brushed my cheek and found a stationary position just under my eye, closing my eyes as I inhaled his sweet and sensuous scent. His very presence was intoxicating, and I had a feeling that if he were to step away I would only have the ability to stumble out of pure drunkenness.

A low grunt released from Edward's throat and his perfectly sculpted body, a body that would have been worth of being called one of Michelangelo's masterpieces, tensed up around me.

"Edward, don't," Alice shouted, scooping me out of the beautiful boy's grasp.

I hadn't noticed before, but my heart was racing and my entire body was trembling. I felt lost without his arms around me and his wonderful aroma flowing through my nostrils. It was as if he was a drug and I was already addicted with one simple touch.

I opened my eyes and reentered the world of reality. Edward was sitting on a large rock with his face buried in his hands. I now had a cotton blanket draped across my shoulders and a slender arm on top of that.

"He won't hurt you," Alice grinned, apparently noticing the small glint of fear in my eyes, most of it being pure admiration, though, as I stared over at the boy. "He just has to gain some control."

I nodded my head as if I knew what she was talking about. "Does he want my, well, does he want my blood?"

"Yes, but he is more interested in protecting you," Alice replied.

"Why me?" I questioned nervously. There were so many questions to ask, so many questions that would help all of this, at the very least, begin to make a little since.

"He has the ability to hear your thoughts," she shrugged. "You've become a part of him, a constant in his life over the last few weeks. He doesn't want to hurt you, he just, well, honestly, doesn't want to lose you."

"Losing me? Why would that matter to him?"

"He thought, thought being the operative word, that he had been in love once, but it was proven a failed attempt. She was everything to him, but decided she didn't love him the way he had, thought, loved her," Alice sighed. "He was miserable for the first month or so, and lost all passion for doing anything. Then, your thoughts came along, dominating the thought flow of everyone else's mindless ramblings, and it pulled him out of the fog the girl had left him in. You've helped him a lot more that I think you could ever know or understand, and, through hearing your thoughts, he's grown attached to you. Like I said, his only fear is losing you."

"Oh." I was speechless. I had never intended to move to Forks, the lifeless and boring town that it was, and mean so much to someone I had never met before. I looked back over at Edward, who was still sitting with his face covered by his hands. "Is he going to be alright?"

"I'll be fine," Edward called out. "Just give me a minute."

I accepted his response and took a seat on one of the tree's roots that was sticking out of the ground. Edward glided over to where I was seated and knelt down in front of me.

"I didn't mean to frighten you, although you should be scared of me," he whispered.

"You didn't scare me, and I'm not scared of you," I stated with a simple gesticulation of my shoulders.

"You aren't? Why not? Why don't I scare you? At any moment I could snap and bring your innocent life to a tragic end," he persisted, raising his voice slightly to get his apparent concern across.

"But you won't?" I sighed, using my statement more so as a question than something I already knew to be true.

He shook his head softly. "Never, I'd find a way to restrain myself."

"See," I gave a small smile. "I trust your word, and well, I guess that means that I trust you, too."

His perfectly shaped lips twisted into a small grin without exposing any of his teeth.

"We should let her get home. Her parents are worried," Alice butted in.

"If we must," Edward hesitated. "I'll walk you back to the diner."

"Okay," I agreed, shaking my head like an excited child who was just asked if he wanted to get some ice cream.

"Let Carlisle and the others know I'll be home later?" he suggested for Alice, who was now accompanied by another beautiful creature, and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. "We could get back faster, if you'd like?"

"Okay?"

He lifted me onto his back and we were soon speeding through the forest at a speed faster than light. I had no idea what I would be telling my parents, but I did know, and expect, that they would ground me until the end of the century for running off in a place I knew nothing about. None of that made any significant impact on me, though; I had my arms wrapped tightly around the neck of the most beautiful boy I had ever laid eyes on, and, to be honest, any punishment I would receive for my miniscule adventure would be worth it.

**Chapter Two**

"No, officer, I have no idea where she could be. She doesn't even know the town, we just moved here," my mother was frantically explaining to the short and stout policeman standing in front of her.

"Mom, I'm right here," I announced as the swinging glass door shut behind Edward.

My mom turned her petite frame in my direction and instantly plastered a scowl on her bony face, but I could see the relief in her dark, oval-shaped eyes.

"Where on earth have you been?" she inquired, doing her best to portray the angry and strict parent she had always thought herself to be, but failing miserably. Her relief was too heavily spread across her face to mask.

"Um, well," I began, working up a story that didn't involve wild animals or running through the forest.

"She was walking down the street and looked lost, so I offered to show her around town," Edward answered my mother with a believable story that I would have eventually created, or so I'd like to think.

"Oh, and you are?" she persisted, eye the boy with scrutiny.

"Edward Cullen," he introduced with a subtle grin. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Cullen, I've heard that name before. You're father is the famous doctor in this area, isn't he?"

"Yes, that would be my father," Edward shrugged casually as if it were no big deal, but he didn't know my mother like I did. She'd make a big deal out of finding a hole in a stranger's shirt if it were possible; I was sure she was going to have a fiesta with this new found information.

"Really, that is interesting," she gleamed. "I'll be working at the hospital with him when everything gets settled in for us here."

"Mom, let's not freak out or anything," I pleaded before she had a chance to harass the boy for information on how to get on his father's (?) good side and go into an on going rant of questions like I had a tendency to do; hey, I got it honest.

"Fine, I'll save that for some other time," she agreed. "Edward, thank you for showing my daughter around town and keeping her out of trouble, it was a really nice thing to do. And, once again, it was a pleasure meeting you, but we should find your father. He's out with the sheriff and a few other officers looking for you."

"Great, the whole police staff is out looking for me. Why not send the marines next time," I groaned.

"I'm sure it won't happen again, but it was only for your safety," she argued. "Now tell your handsome friend goodbye. I'm sure you'll see him in school on Monday."

"Bye, Edward," I grumbled, making a mental note to thank him later, and trudged after my mother in the direction of her burgundy sedan parked in the center of the lot.

"You're welcome," he smirked.

I had never been more ready to begin school than I was now. A steady rain was falling when I entered the front office to collect my schedule and map of the school, something I had been told I would eventually get used to.

"Miss Traynham," the school's secretary greeted with a welcoming smile. "We've been expecting you. The students here are all excited you're here and are openly willing to help you make your transition into our school system as smooth as possible. I'm almost positive you'll like it here."

"So I have heard," I said. "I've heard nothing but good things about this place, and I'm sure I'll take a liking to the school."

She handed me my schedule, all honors classes packed into one semester, and a stack of textbooks for each of the classes with a map of the building taped to my advanced chemistry book. I nodded my head appreciatively and made my way back over to the swinging glass door, only to find that getting it open was going to be a problem.

"Crap," I muttered, looking for a place to sit my belongings down on long enough for me to get the door open.

"Need some help?" an unfamiliar voice belonging to a boy who I guessed to be about my age asked, holding the door open for me. "I'm Christopher, but you can call me Chris."

"Hi, Chris. Thanks for holding the door. I'm T-"

"Taylor Traynham," he finished my introduction. "Everyone around her already knows who you are."

"Oh," I chuckled. "So my introductions will be pretty much pointless, then, right?"

He nodded his head and fell into a steady stride next to me.

"Would you mind pointing me in the direction of the chemistry lab?"

"It would be much easier for me to just walk you there," he replied with a casual tone.

"Okay, sure," I agreed and followed him down the nearly vacant hallway.

A few steps into our quest, a tall, brunette girl walked over and fell into an equivalent pace on Chris's empty side. She had a smug smile on her heart-shaped face and was dressed in a pair of black slacks and a fuzzy red sweater, something I had imagined my mom wearing to a Christmas party a few years ago.

"Elizabeth, this is Taylor. She just moved here from South Carolina," Chris spoke up glancing from me to the other girl while draping his scrawny arm around my shoulders.

"Nice to finally meet you," she gleamed. "I've heard so much about you already, and I'm sure you'll fit in and find friends with everyone, except for maybe the Cullen's. They're always together and no one ever fits is with the-"

"Chris, thanks for helping Taylor get from the main office into the hallway, but I've got it from here," Edward's voice rang out, gently detaching Chris's arm from being around my own.

"Ed-Edward Cullen?" Elizabeth stammered eyes wide and jaw dropped; she was obviously taken back by his presence. "You, you know Taylor?"

"Yes, I do. I met her Saturday when I was showing her around the town," he replied effortlessly, sliding his ice cold fingers through my own. "I'll walk her to class, seeing as it is my class, too."

"What if she doesn't want to walk with you?" Chris objected with a fierce scowl turned upon his plain face.

Edward looked down at me and I melted. His piercing eyes bored through mine and I could only smile as the sensation of butterflies fluttered in the pit of my stomach.

"I'll be fine," I assured the jealous (?) boy; I couldn't help but wonder what kind of relationship Edward and I shared.

"It would be kind of rude not to walk my friend to class on her first day at a new school, though, wouldn't it?" Edward inquired, giving the answer to my previous thought.

"She's your friend?" Elizabeth choked before muttering under her breath softly to where she hoped no one would be able to hear, "I've been here for the entire three years I've been in high school and you've never once noticed me? What makes her so special?"

"Come on Liz. We'll be late for class," Chris grunted in defeat turning back in the direction we had just traveled in, and disappeared from our sight.

"So we're friends, huh?" I smirked. "All a part of the protection strategy, right? I mean, according to what I've heard from Elizabeth, no one else in this school is worthy of a friendship with any of the Cullen's."

"Well, not necessarily. You're different from the other girls here, and well the guys, too, so I'm honored to have you as a friend," he answered earnestly, releasing my hand from his. "I was this close to telling them you were my girlfriend, but I figured that would cause to many rumors. You don't need any rumors on top of being the new girl in school, but after hearing what Christopher had in mind for you, it was so hard not to say that we were in fact an item."

"Well, I'm glad we're friends, and I'm glad you're looking out for me. But, does that mean you're going to be like my body guard or something?" I requested. "You know, watch my every move, follow me around, and keep me out of harm's way, that kind of thing?"

"I guess that's how you could look at is," he shrugged. "Let's go. You don't want to be late for class on your first day, do you?"

I shook my head and followed him the short distance leading to the chemistry lab.

And that's how it was. Edward was always by my side, watching my every move and keeping me out of trouble. It became a way of life, and, although it was strange at first, having Edward as a constant companion made my first few months in Forks some of the most enjoyable months of my life.

He was always going on about the potential danger he was to my life, and reminding me that I should be afraid, but I wasn't. He didn't scare me. He didn't intimidate me. He was my best friend, a normal human being, well, not literally, and for that I began to fall in love. It was an unconditional love, and I knew I wouldn't be able to let him go.

He arrived at my house a little after seven to give me a ride to school like he always did, but today was different. He wasn't himself and hardly spoke two words to me on the ride. He seemed troubled, like something wasn't sitting right with him.

He slid out of the car and opened my door as usual, but instead of letting me out of his shiny, silver Volvo, he stood in front of my with a dismantled expression on his beautiful face.

"Why aren't you afraid of me?" Edward sighed.

I stared at him for a moment before processing an inadequate response. "I don't know… I'm not sure, really…I, ugh, Edward, I don't know."

I lowered my head and locked a stare with the gravel parking lot. I felt around for my belongings and stood up from the passenger seat with the vision of storming through the entrance without him on my side. He knew my plan before I had taken my first step, though, and stopped me with the tracing of his icy fingers against my flushed cheek. I shut my eyes tightly, forcing myself not to look at him.

"Open your eyes, Taylor, please," he whispered softly so that only I could hear. As soon as my name had rolled off his tongue, my eyes fluttered open and a stifled gasp released from my throat. His striking face was mere centimeters apart from mine and I could smell his delicious scent ever so clearly. His shimmering hazel eyes gazed into mine and my heart began to race. He evaluated my reaction carefully, surely seeing the bewilderment in my eyes, as well as listening to the rapid paced thoughts and murmured softly, "Are you afraid, now?"

"Never," I retorted fiercely with a dominant shake of my head.

He let out a dismantled groan of frustration and pulled away from me.

"Come on," he grabbed my hand, "let's get to class."

And the bell rang.

**Chapter 3**

School was a blur. I didn't pay attention to any of my teacher's lectures, I only say in my desk pondering over my conversation with Edward before the day of supposive learning began. Why should I fear him? He said he wouldn't hurt me, and I trusted him. And, besides, the worst thing that could happen, excluding death, was that I would become a _vampire_ and be able to spend all of eternity with him.

Not such a bad idea, except for the fact that he only thought of himself as my protector and nothing more. I knew there was a 99.9% chance that he didn't share the same feelings for me that I had burning so passionately inside of me for him. It scared me, but that 0.1% chance of him loving me, too, was enough to keep me going.

I sighed, giving up on my thoughts for now and sinking back into my pillows. I soon found myself drifting into sleep, dreaming a new dream.

_I was walking through the forest seated directly on the outskirts of town dressed in a yellow rain coat and matching galoshes, but there was no drop of precipitation falling from the overcast sky. A vibrate coloring of red was sailing through the wind, slowly moving closer to me. I stopped moving as the full figure of the flame-colored item displayed itself as the hair of a crimson-eyed, blood thirsty beauty who was already lowering herself into a defensive crouch, as most animals do when it is ready to attack and kill its prey. I gulped a prepared for my death as the female sprung from her position on the damp ground and tackled me down to the forest floor._

"Taylor! Wake up!"

I opened my eyes. Edward was hovering over me with his arms braced upon my shoulders. I was shaking and covered in a layer of cold sweat.

"It was just a dream," I gasped, taking long, cleansing breaths. "It felt so real, like it was actually happening. The lady, she was…who, who was she?"

"That isn't important," he replied cupping my face in his hand. "Oh, and your 0.1% figuration of how I feel about you that keeps you going is a little off, just to inform you."

I stared up at him, tears brimming my eyes, with a face covered in disappointment. I knew he didn't love me, but he didn't have to tell me. I'd rather die now without his protection than know he didn't feel the same way about me; it hurt too much knowing that I had no chance.

"You aren't understanding me, are you?"

"What's there to understand?" I snapped argumentatively. "I love you. I love you so much that it hurts sometimes. And you don't love me, end of st-"

He laid a finger on top of my quivering lips and shook his head, once again rolling his eyes.

"Taylor, the main reason I'm still protecting you is because I love you, so much that it scares me. I'm scared that I'm going to lose you, scared that I'm going to hurt you, scared that I'm going to lose control. You mean everything to me, you're my life. I couldn't live with myself if I ever did anything that hurt you. But, I **do** love you."

"You do?" I trembled.

He nodded and leaned in until his nose was pressed against mine. I shivered at his presence and closed my eyes to break our stare. His icy fingers fell on my cheek, cupping the side of my face while he pressed his lips against my forehead.

Instinctively, I grabbed his wrist and held it tightly to ensure that he wouldn't move away. I opened my eyes and let myself get lost in his liquid golden eyes.

"Taylor," he murmured, his perfect lips lingering over mine. I draped my free hand around the back of his neck and leaned in until his lips were finally touching mine.

Our connection lasted only a few seconds, but it was enough to send a jolt of electricity through my body.

He pulled away; breaking any physical contact we had and let out a few awkward sounding coughs. He was fighting back a smile and masking it well with his stern facial expression.

"Taylor…"

"Don't you tell me that you're scared to kiss me because you're scared that you'll lose control and hurt me?" I groaned.

"Taylor, it's true. One wrong move and I could kill you. It would all be over, just like that. I don't trust myself."

"You should," I encouraged him; pausing for a brief moment before I continued so I could look him directly in his eyes so he would be able to interpret the sincerity of my words. "I do."

He opened his mouth to speak, giving the intention of a long, ranted response arguing my previous accusation, but stopped himself and just looked at me.

"Edward, if I didn't trust you, I would have refused your company in the very beginning. I know you won't hurt me, I know you won't let yourself," I smiled. "I trust you. And, well, that was the best kiss I have ever had. You aren't leaving me hanging now."

He chuckled a heart-felt laugh and took a few steps in my direction. He tucked a loose strand of my red hair behind my ear, allowing his fingers to slowly wrap around the back of my neck.

"When you put it that way, how could I resist?" he implored with a slight raise of his ideally arched eyebrow.

I bit my lower lip in anticipation and his cool lips were once again attached to mine, slowly moving in a rhythmic pattern. I twisted my fingers through his messy locks of hair and smiled into our deepening kiss.

I hesitated, but forced myself to pull away in order to catch my breath. He watched me with fixed eyes, searching for my reaction. I beamed and sluggishly entwined our fingers together. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"I think it's time you met the family."

"What?" I blinked.

"You've already met Alice, but I think it's time you met everyone else," he shrugged suggestively.

"Seriously?"

He signified with a nod. "They'd love to meet you; well, except maybe Rosalie, but she's so full of her self that she won't matter."  
I stifled a chuckle building in the back of my throat and agreed to his suggestion. "I'd be honored to meet the rest of the Cullen's."

**Chapter Four**

I wasn't the kind of person who got nervous, but, for whatever reason, the idea of meeting the Edward's family was nerve racking, and, honestly, a little intimidating. How was I supposed to measure of the mass of perfection that they all were? I couldn't, it was impossible.

"You worry too much," Edward snickered, standing in my door way with his arms crossed over his chest.

"And you being able to hear my thoughts, although sometimes helpful, can be so annoying," I frowned, smoothing the front of my blue sweater as I evaluated my appearance in the mirror hanging on my beige wall.

"You look beautiful," he said with a smile, taking a few steps into my bedroom.

"It isn't too casual? I mean I've seen how Alice and Rosalie dress on a daily basis."

"You look fine, absolutely perfect," he assured me as he slowly constricted his arms around my waist. "It's all going to be fine. Just relax."

I inhaled slowly, taking a deep, cleansing breath, and buried my face into his stone cold chest. The knots in my stomach began to untwine and were replaced by the familiar sensation of butterflies fluttering their wings that I was accustomed to getting when we were together.

He tilted my chin upward with his slender fingers until his eyes were locked with mine. His silky gaze pierced through my soul.

"This is going to be fine, I promise," he murmured, laying a quick peck on my unexpectant lips.

I nodded in quick agreement and took his hand, following him out to his silver Volvo.

The ride to his house, an extraordinarily, beautiful piece of architecture, was a quiet one. I was no longer nervous, but at the speed he accelerated, there was really no time for words. He held my hand in his and squeezed it every so often for an extra boost of encouragement.

"This is going to be fine," he repeated one final time while helping me out of the car. I smiled and laced our fingers together, once again, and headed into the Cullen's manor.

"They're hear!" a distant voice full of excitement exclaimed from the back of the large and exquisitely decorated home.

I was awestruck by the captivating beauty each of the individuals contained as they joined Edward and me in the front room.

"Taylor, this is my family. Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper, and, well, you've already met Alice," Edward established, pointing to each one as he said their names.

Carlisle and Esme were Edward's "parents." Each had blonde hair and a spectacular flawless appearance, pale skin and stony structure. Their perfectly shaped lips were curved into warm smiles, making me feel welcome.

Alice greeted me with a hug as soon as Edward had finished his introductions.

"It's good to see you again," she gleamed. "You're all Edward has been able to talk about in the little he doesn't spend with you."

I felt myself blushing as I directed my attention to the boy who had been with Alice the first day was had met, Jasper. He had a thick head full of dirty blonde and looked like he was in pain due to the strained expression smeared across his pale face.

Edward released a dry laugh and I knew he had heard my silent observation of Jasper. "He's not in any pain, Taylor, that's just Jasper's usual expression."

I looked back at him, glaring with slight aggravation. "Thank you for informing me."

I then glanced over to Rosalie, the one whose beauty was by far the most threatening. Her long, blonde hair flowed down her back and around her modelesque face. Her eyes were shaded a golden brown and her lips were pursed into a delicate scowl, but even the negative demeanor of her displayed emotion couldn't take away from the excessive beauty she acquired.

Emmett stood next to Rosalie, and he was, by far, the largest of the seven. His hair was a brown and full of curls. His muscles were more bulky and defined in comparison to the others, and he towered over them all. Despite his larger physique, which, honestly, scared me a little bit, he was just as flawlessly created as the others. He was beautiful as well.

"Enthralled by our beauty?" Rosalie interrogated through gritted teeth. "Most humans are."

"I, uh, well, I…" I stuttered nervously, where my nerves had come from I had no idea, at her quick, but true, accusation.

"Rose," Edward snarled, but soon looked over at Edward after notice the pensiveness displayed on everyone else's faces as well. "Jasper, knock it off. She wasn't nervous at all until now."

"Sorry," he whispered.

"Jasper has the ability to control the emotional climate of the people he is around," Carlisle stated.

"Oh," I sighed.

"You don't associate with werewolves, do you?" Emmett inquired in a deep, yet soothing, voice.

"Werewolves?" I insisted with a since of bewilderment; werewolves were real?

"Great job, Emmett. She had no idea of their existence," Edward sneered, shutting his eyes tightly and pinching the bridge of his nose, as I often saw him do when he was frustrated.

"Well, she isn't supposed to know about our existence, well, what we are, anyway," Rosalie fired back antagonistically. "But, guess what, she does. We've been through this before Edward. Do you not understand how dangerous this is? Not only for us, but for…_her_, too."

"I know," Edward frowned. "But, if I may ask, why do you care about her safety or the danger she's in? The look of disgust on your face shows that you don't like her, so why does it matter to you?"

"Because, _she's_ important to you, and, I know I don't show it, but I want you to be happy. I saw what Bella leaving did to you, and I don't want to see that happen again," she refuted in a calmer, softer voice than before. "I guess I'm a little skeptical of Taylor for that reason."

"Taylor is not Bella! She isn't anything like her, either," Edward persisted. "She's different, and I've known that all along. Try to be nice?"

Rosalie stubbornly agreed and laid her arm across the small of Emmett's back. I tried smiling at her, but received nothing but a graceful shrug of her shoulders in return.

"Come on," Edward spoke, breaking the silence that had fallen over us. "I'll show you my room."

I took his hand that was outstretched towards me and followed his lead through the house. As soon as I felt we were far enough away to where the wouldn't be able to hear our conversation, I asked the question that I had been pondering over since Rosalie's confession.

"So, um, Bella, is she?"

"My ex?" he finished my hesitant question slowly. "Yes."

"So, she _is_ the girl that Alice told me about when you were regaining your composure the first day we met," I concluded. "The one you were in love with, but she left you and this town, that girl?"

"Mhm," he hummed.

"And when you say I'm not like her, is that a good or a bad thing?" I pushed on.

He looked over at me, eyes wide, and crossed his arms. "Are you seriously asking me that?"

"Yes! I want to know if you really are happy with whatever is we are, or I'm just the pathetic rebound girl you felt a connection with because of your ability to hear the silly little ramblings that pass through my mind."

"Taylor, I will admit that, at one point in time, I did think that Bella was the one, but after she left, as miserable as I was, I realized that she wasn't good for me and it wouldn't have worked out," he replied earnestly; at least he was being honest. "When I began hearing your thoughts, it confused me but at the same time amazed me. You were, and still are, extremely random and ponder over some of the strangest things. I found it entertaining, and it kept me occupied. When I met you, it was different from what I had anticipated, but a **good** different. I don't want you to be like Bella. I want you to be who you are, because that's the real you, that's the girl I've fallen in love with."


End file.
